ME3: Averting Armageddon
by Brendon
Summary: The ending to Mass Effect 3, rewritten as I see fit. I apologize if it seems cliche, this is just my interpretation of what should have happened. Stick it to the man...aka bioware. Short first chapter, more to come.
1. Chapter 1

ME3

Explosions ripped the earth in front of them apart with every step, and the very air they sucked down as they raced toward the pulsing beam of light was saturated with the stench of charred flesh. And still they pushed forward. Their comrades were being disintegrated before their eyes two, three, four at a time, and each of them knew they could meet a similar fate at any second. And still they pushed forward. Their planet was being annihilated around them in the same manner facing the homeworlds of every other advanced species in the galaxy. However, Earth was where the war would be won or lost, setting the stage for the single most important struggle in galactic history. And so they pushed forward, meeting their nigh certain demise with incorruptible resolve, to secure a future for themselves and every other sentient being in existence.

Shepard raced on, the pounding of his heart almost drowning out that of the Reapers' deadly lasers. Despite the furious pace of the events taking place around him, time seemed to slow down, as if he was being given pause to take his life into account before he lost it. Shepard took in everything, noticing each fine detail, his senses heightened due to the adrenaline rushing through his system. He witnessed his team, the fearless men and women surrounding him that had followed him unquestioningly, leading the charge at the end of the world, and he was immensely proud of each of them.

Suddenly a laser pierced the ground ten feet in front of him, and James disappeared into a cloud of vapor. "No!" Screamed a voice to his left, and Shepard glanced over to see Liara's face contorted in agony, but she didn't stop. They realized what was at stake here, and whatever happened, they had to reach that beam. At that moment, Shepard realized that regardless of the insurmountable odds, in the face of Armageddon, there was nowhere else he could allow himself to be but here on Earth fighting with his team. That was his last thought before something cannoned into his side, and a laser ten times the diameter of the others struck the ground and ripped his world apart at the seams.

"Shepard? Shepard, come in. Anyone, come in…" A voice pleaded over the comm piece in Shepard's ear, but he could hardly breathe, let alone respond. "Did we get any of them through? _Did anyone make it to the beam_?"

"Negative, Admiral…they're gone. All of them."

"Damn. Sound a full retreat. The Hammer strike has failed."

_No_, thought Shepard. _I'm still here_. If he could just give them a sign. He ran his eyes down his body, and was met with a gruesome sight. At least half of his armor was burned away, and he was covered in blood. Gaining his bearings but still unable to move more than his head, Shepard surveyed the scene. To his left, he saw what had hit him before the laser strike: Liara lay on the ground, likewise bleeding, but alive. He understood now: Liara had used her biotics to create a barrier at the last second. She'd likely saved their lives. To his right lay Tali, his lover. A rush of adrenaline coursed through him as he could not tell if she was alive or dead through her suit, and she was not moving.

Though his world was collapsing, Shepard still knew what must be done. Even if Tali hadn't survived, he had. He must complete the mission. _Get up_, he told himself. _If I'm going out, I'm going to take all of them with me_. _I've come too far to stop now. Get up_. Through an act of extreme will, Shepard staggered to his feet and drew his sidearm.

"Shepard…" He looked back; Liara was attempting to rise, but it was clear that she needed medical attention before she could go anywhere under her own power.

"Liara, stay down. I'll call for an evac team. You've done your part, leave the rest up to me." She nodded, and lay still once more. After calling for an evac shuttle over his comm, Shepard began his painfully slow advance on the beam, unable to move faster without risking collapse, perhaps for good.

"You're just going to leave me?" That wasn't Liara. Shepard turned, and saw Tali rising to her feet. Remarkably, her environment suit hadn't been breached; Liara and Shepard had apparently taken the brunt of the laser strike. "You can't get rid of me that easily, Shepard." She started to walk toward him, then stopped dead and reached for her weapon, realizing too late that she had lost it. "Behind you!" Shepard turned as fast as he could and came face-to-face with a Marauder. He shot it several times in the head as it prepared to kill him, and it toppled to the smoldering earth with a dull thud. Tali reached his side, and embraced him. "I thought I'd lost you."

"Glad to see you too, but we still have a mission to accomplish, Tali." She let him go, and together they resumed their march toward the beam. Nothing remained to stop their progress, and the pair stepped up to the pulsating light. Shepard took Tali's hand, giving it a squeeze, looked into the glowing orbs of her eyes behind her visor, and whispered two words. "Keelah se'lai." They stepped into the beam.


	2. Chapter 2

_**I have to say, this didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped. I wrote the first little chapter thing, but got very busy with college afterwards. I sat down to write this ending about 5 times, so it's kind of a Frankenstein of whatever ideas were in my head during the different times I sat down to write. And I think that shows Anyways, I hope you like it, better than the official ending at least. It's still pretty similar, but with my own twist.**_

ME3

The feeling was unlike anything Shepard had experienced before. Tali's hand was wrenched from his, and he felt a jerk from his midsection, as if he'd been hooked by an invisible fishing line and was being reeled up into the light. For one mad second, Shepard reasoned that the sensation was akin to something in a book he'd read in his 21st century literature class in college called _Harry Potter_, in which the protagonist had experienced such a feeling when he touched an old boot.

Shepard was violently shaken from his absurd reverie as he slammed to the floor of the Citadel. He gasped, his vision momentarily darkening as pain radiated through his battered and partly charred body. Shepard became aware of a weight on his chest, and as his vision sharpened, saw Tali lying across him, stirring and beginning to sit up. "That was…what was that? I feel like I was just run over by a herd of shem'klar." She mumbled, obviously a little shaken but apparently no worse for the wear.

"I don't know, but let's get moving." Shepard said, never losing sight of the task at hand.

"Oh, uh…right." He could almost envision Tali blushing behind her mask as she picked herself up off of him, allowing him to stagger to his feet. Even now, at the end of days, she was still the same slightly awkward, self-conscious Tali. Shepard loved her for it, and was infinitely grateful that she was with him when it mattered most.

Surveying the area around them, Shepard and Tali were met with a hellish sight: strewn about the room they stood in were bodies. Human bodies. The intense gore covering the floor confirmed that everyone here was dead, little more than raw harvested material for the Reapers to melt down and use to create more of themselves. Shepard found himself shaking with rage. "I'm not going to let anyone else die this way, Tali, human or not. One way or another, this ends now." He began to limp towards the light at the far side of the room they had been beamed into. Shepard did not recognize their surroundings; this was a part of the Citadel that he'd never been to.

Tali moved after him, quickly catching him as she was not nearly as battle-weary as he was. She took his hand again, wishing she could offer him more, but realizing that he had all he needed. Shepard was more powerful than ever, driven by a grim determination drawn from the realization that his next actions would probably dictate the fate of the galaxy. As they moved through the room and out into another, this one dominated by a vast chasm with a walkway leading across into a darkened room, Shepard considered the reasons for which he fought.

Most important to him, occupying a space in his heart that could never be adequately explained to someone who had not experienced the same level of kinship, were his squad mates. His friends. He'd lost too many over the campaign against the Reapers, and the deaths of each comrade pierced him with each step like a physical wound as he remembered them. He would not let their deaths be in vain, and he could not fail those who had survived and stayed with him through this final confrontation.

Then there was Earth. The planet of his birth, and the place from which the human race originated. He'd once thought Earth to be an invincible bastion of good in a galaxy with so much pain and loss, a fundamental pillar that he could not imagine life without. Shepard had been there when the Reapers first attacked Earth, witnessed their ruthlessness firsthand as they had annihilated his people before his eyes. He'd run then, out of necessity, but he was not running now.

Finally, the weight of the hopes of every sentient being in existence crashed down upon Shepard's shoulders. He'd always known that galaxy-wide peace was what he had been fighting for, but in this final movement of the symphony of war, the responsibility became much more real than it had ever seemed before. He'd delayed this moment twice already, creating the time necessary to prepare for this moment. It was time to finish the job.

A squeeze of his hand brought Shepard back to the present. Glancing into the orbs of Tali's eyes behind her mask, he nodded once and dropped her hand, moving forward into the darkened room. What he saw at the far end of the room made his heart jump: Anderson was standing over a console, trying to figure out how to work it. "Anderson!" Shepard yelled, trying to get the admiral's attention. Anderson did not respond, nor did he give any outward indication that he'd heard Shepard. Upon closer inspection, Anderson seemed to be standing at attention, and was shaking as if he were struggling to break out of his pose. Shepard began to move closer.

"That's close enough, Shepard," a familiar voice commanded. Looking left toward the source of the voice, Shepard saw the Illusive Man…or what was left of him. A hideous caricature of humanity, the only thing Shepard could liken the Illusive Man's new appearance to was a husk. Shepard began to draw his pistol. "Stop! Move and I'll put your admiral here out of his misery." Shepard begrudgingly released his pistol, his only weapon clattering to the metal floor. He noticed that Tali was nowhere to be seen.

"What are you doing here? Do you know what you've done? Get out of my way, I'm here to end this." Shepard practically spat the words at the Illusive Man.

"Isn't it obvious, Shepard? You know I'm working with the Reapers now. However, I thought you were quicker than this. Look at me, commander. I've all but surrendered my own humanity in order to secure a future for the rest of it. That's right," he said when the light of comprehension came to Shepard's eyes. "I'm using them. They trust me, but as soon as the alien threat has been dealt with, I will take control of the Reapers and usher in a new golden age for humanity! No longer will we tolerate subservience in a galaxy we have as much right to as anyone else. But why stop there, when we have the Reapers' power at our fingertips, giving us unquestioned dominion over all organic _and _artificial life? Under my guidance, humanity will take its rightful place: at the top. I will give you one chance. Join me, Shepard. Stop fighting the inevitable. You know I'm right."

"You're crazy! You don't speak for humanity. What makes you think anyone will follow a terrorist? And you can't control them. Like you said, look at yourself. They own you. You couldn't take control if you wanted to."

The Illusive man sighed. "I had a feeling you would say something like that. If you won't join me, then I am not going to let you stand in my way." He aimed his pistol at Shepard's head, his face grim.

"Tali, NOW!" Shepard yelled. Suddenly, the Illusive Man's pistol flew out of his hand and he swore loudly, cradling his injured hand in his other arm. Tali stepped out from behind the doorway, her smoking blaster trained on the Illusive Man.

"Picked it up off of one of the bodies," she said to Shepard as she walked up beside him. She tightened her grip, and appeared ready to take another shot when Shepard put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't. You're better than him. But keep an eye on him. I'm going to finish this." Shepard moved to Anderson, who had returned to normal after the Illusive Man was injured, his shock at being shot breaking the concentration necessary to control Anderson. "You alright, admiral?"

"Never better," Anderson replied, but his disheveled visage betrayed his words. He stepped aside so Shepard could access the console as Tali prodded the Illusive Man forward with her pistol, moving next to Shepard and Anderson. A viewport dominated the wall behind the strange console, through which Shepard observed the Crucible making its approach. The massive structure eased up until it was feet away from hitting the Citadel…and nothing happened. The group watched and waited for something to take place.

Without warning, the floor underneath them lifted into the air, a hole opening in the roof above them into which their floor panel locked as it finished its assent.

The four found themselves in a massive room dominated by two machines that seemed to be generators of some sort on either side of the room. The left glowed a brilliant blue, while the right seethed a harsh red. In the middle of the machines was a pulsating pillar of light, not unlike the beam that Shepard, Tali, and Anderson had used to board the Citadel.

None of the four said anything. Even the Illusive Man was at a loss for words, though Shepard was not foolish enough to believe that meant he was not still dangerous. At the far end of the room near the beam of light, a small figure seemed to materialize before Shepard's eyes. It appeared to be made of pure light, swirling around to imitate the shape of a child. A child Shepard knew.

"What are you?" Shepard asked bluntly as the figure drew closer. "I've seen you before, back on Earth. I watched you die."

"I am not the child of whom you speak," the figure said in a surreal tone that seemed as if it was made up of many different voices speaking as one. "I am merely a representation of your fate. You have done well to reach this place, where no other organics have tread before, but I know why you have come. You cannot do anything. This cycle is almost at its end."

Tali started to retort, but Shepard laid a hand on her shoulder. "But why? What have we done to you?" Shepard wasn't sure exactly what this being was, but he knew that if he could reason with it, he might be able to talk it down from destroying the Earth. It was obviously in control here.

"It is not what you have done, but what you will do. I have seen it coming countless times, and countless times I have come to prevent it. The Reapers are not the problem. _You _are the problem. The Reapers are the solution. My solution," the being said, confirming Shepard's assumption that it was in responsible for the Reapers.

"Your solution…to what?"

"You. Organics. You advance until inevitably, you reach a point at which you become dangerous to yourselves and others. It is my job to stop that from happening. The last time I was forced into action, your species was just beginning; it was not a threat. But you have grown. You are like all the rest, and therefore, you must be…dealt with."

"But what if we're different? Look at us. Humans, Turians, Quarians, Salarians, Asari, and even Krogan. We've come together, united under a common goal. We've ended our fighting so we can focus on survival. Alliances have been formed where only hate existed before. We have changed."

"Even if you succeeded, you will only revert to your natural tendencies after the Reaper threat has been eliminated. These changes you speak of are only out of necessity. You have not actually changed."

Shepard could feel that he was beginning to make an impression, even through the disappointing words the being had said. Anderson, Tali, and the Illusive Man listened to the exchange with rapt attention. "Don't you see? All of the cycles in the past have been working up to this point. We have the means to deal with your "solution." We have been changing, organics, for thousands of cycles, leading up to this point. It is only on the precipice of destruction that people can find the strength to change. And now that we have the ability to stop the Reaper extermination, we have a chance to show that change and start new. You are trying to destroy what is most important, our hope. I cannot allow that."

"We _are _your hope, and the hope for organics everywhere, though I can tell you are beyond seeing things from that perspective. However, you are correct about one thing, organic," the being said in a defeated tone. "My solution will not work anymore. I hope you are correct with your claim of change, because the mere fact that the four of you stand here in this room shows that you have indeed transcended the organics of the past. You are correct that your Crucible has the power to end the Reaper threat. However, you are now faced with the decision on how to do it."

The being indicated the machines on either side of the room. "On the left, you may attempt to control the Reapers." The being was now speaking only to Shepard. "However, you will lose yourself. No one else will be able to control us, only you who resisted us from the beginning, you who have been presented with countless instances in which you could have given in, but pressed on for the perceived good of the galaxy. The only one who can control us is the one who never wanted to."

"On the other side lies the destruction of the Reapers. Our threat to you will be ended, and you will rise from the ashes. This is not a good thing. Everything I have seen through all of the cycles that have come and gone says that you as a species, and the galaxy as a whole will go down the same path you have in this cycle. When you do, my Reapers and I will not be around to stop it. In whichever choice you make, this cycle will end."

"I see. Then I'l-"

"There is a third option," the being said, cutting Shepard off and pointing to the pulsing beam. "Synthesis. Add your energy to the Citadel's and release it through the Crucible. The result will be a mixture of organic and synthetic. You will die, and all life will change. A new DNA will be born. You will lose yourself and be born anew, theoretically without the potential for destruction that organics possess."

"Let's say I believe you that I can control the Reapers. You know I still won't do that. What you say is true, I have resisted you, fought you at every turn. I don't want anything to do with you, and for that reason I could never take control. The resistance that empowers me to take control also takes away my ability to do it. As for synthesis, that would be as bad as being destroyed by the Reapers. If we would lose ourselves, what's the point? We fight you for our right to exist, warping us into some synthetic-organic hybrid defeats the purpose. I'm left with one choice."

Shepard began to stagger towards the red machine. "You will die," the being warned.

"Seems like that's going to happen no matter what I choose," Shepard replied, his resolve unshakable.

"Shepard, no!" Tali, who had been silent for the entire exchange with the light-being, cried out and ran in front of Shepard, blocking his way. "I won't lose you again. I can't." Her voice was shaky, as if she was on the verge of tears.

"I have to do this, Tali. Get back to the beam. You don't have to die here. I've come this far, I have to see this through."

"If this is your choice, I will stay with you. I learned before that life without you isn't really life at all. I will stand at your side till the end. Keela Se'lai."

Shepard wanted to make her leave, the thought of her death making his heart plummet. But he knew she would not leave, and he knew what he had to do. No matter how strong his personal feelings were, this was bigger than that. Bigger than anything anyone had ever done. Shepard held in his hands the power to save the galaxy, and not even his love for Tali could turn him back. He started for the red machine again.

"Wait." The Illusive Man broke his silence, shocking Shepard and bringing his advance on the red machine to a halt. "I see now. I could never control the machines. No one who thought like I did could. If someone like you is the only kind of person able to wield their power, someone who never could bring themselves to actually do so, then I was wrong. I agree with you: the destruction of the Reapers is humanity's best hope. And even if I cannot control the Reapers, that doesn't mean I can't destroy them. Let me do it, Shepard. I am barely alive as it is. You have so much to live for. So live. Keep the Earth safe and usher in the golden age I never could. This isn't your time to die."

Shepard felt a mix of surprise, pity, and…gratitude. His earlier statement about finding the strength to change at the gates of destruction had just been proven true. He staggered back towards the Illusive Man, stared him in the eye, and offered him his pistol. The Illusive Man took it and started toward the red machine. "Now go. I'll give you five minutes, after that I'm blasting this thing to hell. I am so sorry for what I've done. Good luck, Shepard."

"Thank you." As the Illusive Man turned back towards the machine, Shepard called out again, "wait. I need to know something. What…is your name?"

The Illusive man looked taken aback, as if he had not expected something like this to be brought up given the circumstances. He smiled. "Isn't it obvious? It's Tim. The Illusive Man. Tim."

"Goodbye, Tim."

"Godspeed, Shepard."

Shepard, Tali, and Anderson stepped back onto their floor panel, which began to sink back down to the deck below, where they made their mad dash to the beam.

After the five minutes had passed, Tim advanced on the machine. As he drew close, he saw a glass panel and underneath, an array of wires and circuitry. He raised his pistol, firing a shot into the glass. It cracked, but did not break. Tim kept advancing, each step punctuated by a shot into the glass. The cracks grew larger and larger, and Tim knew he was seconds away from both saving the galaxy, and meeting his own end.

He thought back to his life, how he had thought he was fighting for the good of humanity. Only now on the brink of his demise did he realize how wrong he'd been, and he'd been given an opportunity to atone for his mistakes. He kept advancing, and he kept shooting.

The glass broke, but Tim did not stop. With a roar he started to run the last few steps between himself and the failing machine. He would meet his end on his feet, and prepare for whatever afterlife awaited him. He kept shooting. As he reached the machine, he fired a last shot. The machine exploded catastrophically, blasting a hole in the Citadel's hull and setting off secondary explosions throughout the massive structure. It was done.

Shepard, Tali, and Anderson had just reached the surface when the explosions started. Hobbling as fast as he could, Shepard and his companions reached a safe distance and turned to watch the exploding Citadel. He could see the Crucible giving off a radiant light, waves rippling out from where it contacted with the Citadel, it's energy being released. Tim had done it.

Wherever the waves of light impacted a Reaper or Reaper forces, they were vaporized. The machines that had wiped out countless civilizations over thousands of cycles were annihilated in a matter of seconds.

After the Crucible had completed its work and the Citadel was reduced to a smoldering heap of metal in space, Shepard and his surviving crew regrouped in the Normandy. They cheered for their victory, grieved for their fallen comrades, and took solace in the fact that they had averted Armageddon. Shepard saw to it that Tim was posthumously awarded the Silver Cross by the Earth's government for services to the human race. The Mass Relays had also been destroyed with the Citadel, but they could be rebuilt.

After the flurry of events following the victory over the Reapers had subsided, Shepard and Tali sought privacy in Shepard's cabin on the Normandy.

"Well, what now?" Tali asked softly, laying her head on Shepard's shoulder.

"After we finish the rebuilding on Earth, I expect we'll make new Relays. And then we can go shopping for that real estate on Rannoch," Shepard said with a smile.

Tali looked at him, and took her faceplate off. "I am used to you by now, do not worry, you won't make me sick. I wanted to be able to look you in the eye without that damn mask. Shepard, I don't want to go back. You are needed here, I could not take you away from your people." Shepard started to reply, but Tali put a finger to his lips. "I'm not done. I love my people, yes, but I can live without them, I have been already. The one thing I could not live without, especially after all that has happened, is you. Wherever you go, I will be by your side. I love you."

Shepard took her into his arms, and kissed her without a word. None were needed. They had stood together at the end of the galaxy and emerged stronger for it. For the first time in his adult life, Shepard was free to live his life as he chose, though his path forward was clear.

He wondered what a human and Quarian baby would look like…


End file.
